GAPS in Wellington
Gut & Psychology Syndrome/Gut & Physiology Syndrome
GAPS Introduction
GAPS is a concept created by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride in 2004 when she published her first book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Dr Campbell McBride is a UK based medical doctor with postgraduate degrees in neurology and nutrition. Her passion for the subject came through helping her own son with autism by applying the various principles she had learned through her research and studies. GAPS establishes a connection between the state of the gut and the health of the rest of the body. Recent research has shown that 90% of the cells in our body come from our gut flora and there is an ever increasing amount of research released confirming the vital role these organisms play within our physiology. The key purpose of the GAPS nutritional protocol is to restore the balance of normal gut flora while working to heal and seal the gut so that it’s integrity is restored.
The Benefits in Aiding Key Functions
In a healthy person the gut flora predominantly consists of beneficial species of bacteria and yeasts. These beneficial flora help to control opportunistic flora (harmful species within the gut such as, parasites, bacteria, yeasts), while also aiding other key functions such as:
- Protecting our body from invading harmful organisms
- Maintaining healthy gut wall integrity
- Assisting in appropriate digestion and absorption of food and liquid
- Detoxification
- Vitamin Production/Synthesis
- Immune system modulation (maintaining properly balanced and effective immunity)
There are various factors that can damage our gut flora and the majority of these relate to our modern westernised diet (consisting of processed carbohydrates, fats and sugars), high levels of chemical toxins within our environment and our food and personal care products, overly stressful and busy lifestyles and an overuse of synthetic prescription drugs.
With GAPS, there is significant variation from person to person in terms of how severely their function and physiology is affected and this means that people will improve at different rates and will need to take different measures to reach their health goals and to restore normal gut flora balance and the health and integrity of their gut.
There are many different conditions that have shown benefit from the GAPS nutritional protocol.
These include:
- Irritable bowels
- Inflammatory bowels
- Flatulence
- Bloating
- Indigestion/Hearturn/Reflux
- Eczema
- Asthma
- Allergies
- PMS, & various female health problems
- Multiple Sclerosis
- SLE
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Adrenal fatigue
- Dyspraxia
- Thyroid conditions
- Obesity or an inability to lose weight
- Chronic cystitis with bed wetting
- Arthritis both inflammatory and non-inflammatory
- Diabetes and blood sugar imbalances, celiac disease,
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Poor memory
- Learning difficulties
- Anxiety, panic attacks
- ADD/ADHD
- Autism
- Dyslexia
How Total Health Chiropractic Can Help You
Dr David Comely (Chiropractor, Kinesiologist) is a Certified GAPS Practitioner through his training with Dr Campbell-McBride. He frequently uses the GAPS nutritional protocol or key aspects of the protocol to help people with various health concerns and challenges such as those listed above. Specifically tailored nutrition advice combined with biomedical and herbal approaches can help you reach greater health and vitality and provide natural solutions for your health conditions.
Give our office a call or email Dr David to make an appointment.
Download a PDF of the GAPS food chart or the dairy-free version – DF GAPS food chart.
